As a customer , it kinda peeves me whenever I offer and dont get a reply. Like , it's not that I feel entitled to a commission , but I'd still like to know if I can spend my money elsewhere or not , instead of waiting for weeks on end. Alternatively , lack of updates on a commission. I personally don't mind if it takes a while or longer than initially thought [especially with a lot of slots!] but I just ,, updates , please.
sorry to add to the string of pet peeve threads OTL. i just thought this would be a good place for people who buy commissions and who sell commissions to vent their frustrations. ill go first to break the ice.
when artists make you pay through friends and family, its soooo sketch. also when artist say theyll have your stuff done in one week...and never get back to you or do it way after a week. like its happened so many times and i feel like its a 'give me five minutes' type of thing. like just give me your real time frame, no need got give yourself a week if you know its not going to happen.
you all have very valid points! im going to add another complaint of mine since no one has said it yet.
when people whitewash my ocs. sidif thats the main thing that annoys me. like their skin color is very clear in the ref, why make their skin lighter?
edit: nvm someone already said it lol
new rules: please dont be transphobic or racist, i cant believe i have to say this but seriously, what the heck
my only major pet peeve when commissioning people is communication, honestly. I'm perfectly happy to wait however long someone needs as long as they keep me updated on the situation-- I really don't care how long it takes as long as I know there's going to be a delay. and i don't need a million updates on progress either, but an update between stages really helps prevent issues like incorrect skintones!
its also a bit frustrating from time to time when you commission someone (and especially friends) who know that you're very lax about waiting, so they just... push your commission back further and further so that they can do later commissions / projects instead. ;; i try to be super patient and ive never commented on it but it does feel kind of bad to feel like you're being taken advantage of in that regard. just because I'm happy to give you several months to finish a half body doesn't mean I am necessarily cool with you skipping to others ahead of me (when they are not on a deadline) because you know I probably won't say anything...
Artists taking eons to finish a drawing.
I get it. Life happens. But imho that doesn't justify you taking half a year to finish a custom. Especially after not saying what is going on once, by yourself. If I have to keep asking to get an answer, that is shit customer service.
Commissioning people - When people don't follow clearly marked refs. Also, people not knowing the value of their art/just using it for internet money. Yes money good but also know your worth. I don't wanna sound mean because I will love it no matter the skill, but basically don't under/oversell yourself
Being Commissioned - Not being given everything that is needed to know about the design
Got another pet peeve to share. When people commission me with no idea of what they actually want. And I mean no idea at all. Idk about you guys but when I commission someone I at least have a reason or concept in mind of what and why I want art from this specific artist. But I guess some people just want to throw their money around. I just know that this is a hella annoying progress and it's something I will never accept again. No I don't mind artistic freedom but this "hi I want art from you, maybe do it like that, no like that, well actually I'm not quite sure yet. What's your opinion on that, what's your opinion on those, should this be made like that, well maybe not like that, hm I don't know,. AND IT GOES ON AND ON. Also people who point out every little stroke in the sketch WIP I send them. Dude it's a sketch, you don't need to point out all the random lines there... It will be cleaned up anyway. ITS A FREAKING SKETCH.
And just generally people who claim they read my guidelines but they haven't. And ask me one billion unnecessary things which are mentioned in it. Heck I can remind them 6 times to read my TOS but they still don't get it. (Reason for the form I made recently, no read = no commission PERIOD, I'm honestly sick of it)
I have these situations super rarely but damn. Sorry for the harsh wording.
I have one very frustrating experience with ordering commissions
when you have a character who is flat chested and want to order a commission of her
you send the refs clearly showing that she almost has no boobs
you even state in the messages that she is supposed to be flat chested
and the artist DRAWS THE DAMN BEWBS ANYWAY
sometimes REALLY BIG ONES
it happened to me few times, like why seriously no please
When you have to hunt the artist down for updates/communication. I’m not talking every few days, but after a full month of radio silence, you can bet i’m going to politely inquire about what’s going on.
When you provide all the clear-cut, unwatermarked refs, give a brief sentence about the character personality, and also clarify KEY DETAILS... and they still fuck up your character. Either from obv lack of interest or because they just skimmed the order.
And then you feel like an ass for politely pointing out the corrections needed— and they half-ass fix it, or fucking ghost you because they wont.
/sorry if this is a repeat, but it rly grimds my gears.
definitely lack of communication.
when artists poof for a long time without saying anything AND ignore me when I ask for an update (I'm VERY lenient with commissions, to a reasonable point that is, I just ask for progress and tell them if they haven't started yet it's okay). And then ignore a follow-up message from me asking once again. And then immediately flip out after I ask for a refund in like the 5th message due to the time length and their refusal to just give me a simple yes or no (like what suddenly you're online and responding quick to me?).
..and then they rush my drawing and give me some half-assed finished work to "prove" they've been working on it rather than just straight up being honest and saying they haven't started yet/giving me a refund. This has happened so so many times to me I don't get it why it's so hard to just be honest to one's client lol
Worse when I can see they've read the message, are actively posting, or taking more commissions without telling me that mine will be on hold
I've actually learned quite a bit from this thread so thank you. ; v ; ahsnjs
I am guilty of being the client/commissioner who doesn't know exactly what I want/ gives artistic freedom. The reason I do that is because I do like the artist's style and want to see that particular character in their style but I haven't really developed the character yet. But I also don't ask for a zillion changes. I think it's rare actually that I ask for changes for those situations since I did say artistic freedom. I'd most likely ask for changes relevant to the reference only however I'll try to do that less and be more decisive about what I'm after from here on out. Forms also do help because it actively tells me that the artist wants those details.
To add my own pet peeve, I'd say what bothers me the most as a client/commissioner is when artists don't deliver what is paid for. This is really the problem in a nutshell but can be broken down into a series of things such as ghosting and art that is not consistent with the effort/style of the samples.
It happens sometimes and that's okay but all of these issues can be resolved easily and professionally with the willingness to communicate. For example,
-Updates about personal circumstances. It doesn't have to be down to the details but just something to say you haven't forgotten and there will be delays.
-Edits.
If your client has paid for something and you realize the finished piece is not up to standard somehow, tell them. I've had some experience with artists admitting the style changed through the piece for example and it was honestly much appreciated. They would offer redrawing it in the ordered style/a small refund etc. It's refreshing professionalism compared to commissioned work that is not what is paid for and the artist doesn't say anything.
-Do's and don'ts list.
Knowing what an artist can and can't draw is very handy knowledge as a client. I hate to say that I have commissioned work from some who were obviously not used to drawing such details and attempted it... While I appreciated the attempt, it was also not what I ordered in terms of the expected effort/style. I have also had some positive experiences where artists openly communicated to me they were having difficulty with said details and I would offer a different character altogether or ask for that detail to not be included if it isn't important. However, if it's explicitly stated to be an experimental commission for example then knock yourself out and run wild.
TL;DR Communication is good under all circumstances. Do it more. Your clients will thank you for it and keep coming back. No communication or bad communication will repel clients.
It’s a personal thing I’d assume and I don’t want it to come across as mean or anything don’t come for my ass. But as a customer, I rlly dislike when people don’t put in the effort so the comm looks like the best it can? Like I’m not speaking when the comm is advertised as casual or sketchy, or when they’re just sketches for that matter. But when I comm something, first of all please follow the ref and make sure you are accurate to the design. I don’t necessarily mean all the fur pattern are exactly the same, or the facial features are similar for the styles/artists who can’t. But it’s extremely frustrating to say something in your commission order, and have it ignored. I have written it in bold o their profile, and written it in my comm’s order info, what more can I do to make you respect this very clear reference. It happened to me a ton on flightrising bc commissioners like to equate any dragon oc design to the closest fr species it looks like, for that reason my boy’s gallery is filled with inaccurate drawings, but it’s not like I can ask them to do it all over again, and it’s just fictional currency anyway, right? Next thing on the same kinda vibe is just the art quality y’know. Like, one of my first comms ever I bought had rlly wriggly lines, very unlike the comm examples that were listed. And like it kinda upset me at the time that even if it were actual irl money ppl would still not do their best to make the comm itself be a nice piece of artwork they could show off in their gallery. As an artist and commissioner, it might be bc of ocd or anxiety or whatever, but I always do my best to be both accurate and offer good quality, even if it’s just a trade or whatever, down to spots placement, so i guess I just expect it that attitude out of artists I commission too. Like I know commissions are a job and ppl have a life and artists can’t put their soul in every comm just bc I want to, nor should they, but it’s just disheartening to have to investigate every possible commissioner and see if they’d do the level of quality I’m expecting. Lately tho it’s been happening rlly not a lot, prob bc I don’t comm much gbdgd.
Also it sucks I have to fear the artist snapping on me or having a depressive crisis when you do so much as suggest a change every single time